Rail anchor relocator



Jan. 14; 1964 H. G. MILLER RAIL ANCHOR RELOCATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22. 1961 INVENTOR. Mailer 432 M l J Q I 90b M 98 k I j i I 1 125 F! 64 15 94 g 129 L 9 "I I s Q f.

Jan. 14, 1964 H. e. MILLER 3,117,531

RAIL ANCHOR 'RELOCATOR Filed Sept. 22, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Jan. 14, 1964 H. G. MILLER RAIL ANCHOR RELOCATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 22, 1961 Wind/M4 y/mu JZM United States Patent 3,117,531 RAIL ANCHOR RELGCATOR Harold G. Miiier, Racine, Wis., assignor to Racine Hydraulics & Machinery, Inc, Racine, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Fiied Sept. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 140,077 11 (Ilaims. (Cl. 104-2) This invention relates generally to railway equipment, and particularly pertains to apparatus for relocating mispositioned rail anchors secured to a base of a railroad track rail.

Railroad track rails are restrained against lateral forces and held in position on wooden ties by plates and spikes. To resist the forces tending to move the rail longitudinally, rail anchors are secured to the base of each rail for engaging the opposite side of a tie. Such longitudinal forces may be induced by thermal expansion and contraction of the steel rail or may be caused by the acceleration or deceleration of trains moving along the rails. It is known that the rail anchors maintain their positions with respect to the base of the rail by the frictional forces existing therebetween.

Due to a combination of forces, not easily explained, rail anchors frequently move longitudinally of the rail and out of engagement with the sides of the wooden tie. in this condition the primary function of the anchors is entireiy lost, and therefore repositioning of the rail anchors is periodically required.

Here-tofore, rail anchors were manually repositioned by repeated blows from sledge hammers. The very nature of that operation involved striking a mispositioned anchor first on one side of the rail and then on the other. Hence, the prior operation was slow, laborious, and tedious in servicing even a short distance of railroad track.

in view of the foregoing an important object of this invention is to provide means for relocating adjacent pairs of mispositioned rail anchors simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for squeezing pairs of mispositioned rail anchors longitudinally of the base of the rail into engagement with the opposite sides of a tie.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a machine for relocating rail anchors, which machine is mounted for movement along the rails under power, and which remains on the rails while relocating the rail anchors.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine for relocating mispositioned rail anchors which exerts substantially no longitudinal force on the rail during such relocating operation, thereby avoiding a loosening of the rail as held longitudinally by other rail anchors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for relocating rail anchors either individually or in pairs, which machine is simple in design and construction, highly practical in use, economical to manufacture, and which is ilexibly adapted to relocate any of the various styles of rail anchors.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangemnet of the anchor relocator whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout, in which:

PEG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the machine shown 3,ii7,53i Patented Jan. 1a, 1964 in FIG. 1 taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 22 therein, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged, transverse sectional view of a railroad track rail showing a rail anchor operatively secured to the base thereof;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a hydraulically actuated squeezing head incorporated in the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the squeezing head shown in a scale reduced from that in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 66 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 7-7 in FIG. 5.

There is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings an anchor relocator machine generally designated 10 made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention. The anchor relocator It is mounted for movement along a railroad track 12 and includes a carriage 14 an upright frame 16 and a squeezing head 18.

Being entirely of conventional construction and arrangement, the railroad track 12 includes two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced apart rails 20 and 22 fixedly secured at longitudinally spaced points to laterally extending wooden ties 24. Between the top surface of the tie 24 and the bottom surface of the rails 26, 22 a plate as is interposed and secured to the tie 24 by a rail spike 28. A second spike 30 engages a base 32 of the rail and passes through the plate 26 into the tie 24 thereby to hold the rails 20, 22 in their predetermined laterally spaced positions. The rail ballast of sand or Cinders which is conventionally supplied beneath and between the ties 24 has been omitted from the drawings for purposes of clarity. It is to be understood here that such rail ballast in no way interferes with the operation of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3, the typical rail 22 includes a head portion 36, a base 32, and an upstanding central web 34. A rail anchor 33 is shown secured to the base 32 of the rail, the anchor 38 being known in the trade as the Fair type of rail anchor. The Fair rail anchor is shown only as an exemplary type and it is to be understood that this invention may be practiced with any one of the several other types of rail anchors. The rail anchor 38 has a fiat, horizontally disposed body 4i? with a step 42 at one end. The other end of the anchor 38 is provided with an enlarged loop or bite portion 44 and an overlying clip or clamping portion 4%. A flange 48 is disposed at a right angle to the body 46, bite 44, and the clamp 46 and extends longitudinally substantially from end to end of the anchor 38. By clampingly engaging the base 32 of the rail 22, the anchor 38 abuts the lateraily extending side of the tie 24 to resist longitudinal movement of the railroad track rail. In conventional practice two anchors 38 straddle the tie 24 on opposite sides to resist longitudinal movement of the rail in each direction. Frequently, the anchors 38 are displaced from the sides of the ties 24 (shown in FIG. 5) by forces of various origins and, repositioning being required, the anchor relocator it? lends its function to this purpose.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the carriage 14 includes a generally rectangular framework 50, supported at opposite ends by a pair of rail trucks 52 suitably journaled thereto. An operators seat 54 is mounted upon the carriage framework 56 facing one side of the machine iii thereby to afford the machine operator a comfortable and suitable view of the anchor relocating operation. A heavy metal screen (not shown) may be provided over the framework 59 to protect the operator from flying fragments of broken anchors and to afford a deck-like surface for standing upon.

The upright frame 16 is rigidly secured to the framework 50 opposite the operators seat 54. More particularly, the frame 16 includes two vertical members 56 and S interconnected at their upper ends by a horizontally disposed cross-member dtl. At the lower end of each vertical member 56, 58, a wheel guard 62 is provided to partially enclose the wheels 52a of the trucks 52. A gusset plate 64 is rigidly secured to each wheel guard 62 and to the framework 58 and extends inwardly of the respective wheel guard along the side of the carriage 1d.

A hydraulic hoist 6-5 is operatively mounted on the cross-member 60 and includes an articulated chain-like member 68 entwined about a sheave member '71). The lower end of the chain member 68 is fastened to a link 72 on the squeezing head 18. Thus when the hoist 66 is actuated to rotate the sheave 713 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, the squeezing head 18 is elevated away from the track 2 into its position for traveling along the railroad 12. The source of hydraulic pressure for operating the hoist 66 may be a pump operatively associated with an air-cooled internal combustion engine (not shown). To convey the hydraulic fluid from the pump (not shown) to the hoist 66 and away therefrom, a pair of hydraulic lines 74 and 75 are provided on the hydraulic hoist 66.

A hydraulic motor 76 is arranged intermediate the rail wheels of the rear truck below the framework 58 for propelling the anchor relocating machine along the railway 12. Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the hydraulic motor '76 receives hydraulic fluid under pressure through the two conduits 78 and 7'9 from the pump previously mentioned. The motor 76 is interconnected to the rear rail wheel 52a by a stub-shaft 8% extending transversely of the frame 55) to a universal joint 81. The universal joint 81 is interconnected to a drive shaft 82 having a pinion gear 84 mounted on the outward end thereof. The pinion 84 meshes with an internal ring gear 86 on the wheel 52a thereby completing the power train from the hydraulic motor 76 to the traclcwheel 52a.

The squeezing head 18 is adapted to contact a pair of rail anchors 38 on opposite sides of the tie 24 and to urge the anchors 38 along the base 32, of the rail and into firm engagement with the opposite sides of the tie 24. To attain this function the squeezing head 18 includes a base assembly 88 having pivotally connected thereto at points longitudinal of the rail two pairs of squeezing legs. Referring'to FIGS. 4-7, the left-hand pair of squeezing legs is designated 941a and 98b, whereas the right-hand pair of legs is designated 92a and 92b. Although the four legs are substantially identical in many respects, the inner egs, 9%, 920, are each provided with a vertically extending bar 94 on the outer fiat face thereof. Being spaced apart from the respective adjacent surface of the legs, the bar 94 is fixedly secured at each of its ends to a spacer piece 96 thereby providing a slot for receiving a horizontally disposed guide member 98. At each of its ends, the guide member 98 is fixedly secured to the gusset plate 64 on the carriage frame Ell. This particular arrangement limits the vertical movements of the squeezing head 18 to a single vertical plane thereby maintaining the squeezing head 18 in perfect alignment with the rail 22.

The legs of each pair 98, 92 are interconnected at two points, the first being located in the lower portions thereof and the second being disposed adjacent the uppermost ends. Referring to the lower connection first, the base assembly 88 includes two cross blocks ltlll having turned down shaft portions or pivots 182 (see FIG. 6). Each pivot 102 is provided with threads and extends transversely of the rail 22. The legs 90, 82 are mounted on the pivots 182 for rotational movements and are held thereon by nuts 1&3.

As arranged in the base assembly 88 the cross blocks 101) are spaced apart longitudinally of the rail and are connected to a center block 1114. More particularly, the center block 184 is provided with an outwardly extending, shafblike portion 1% on each of its ends which is received through a complementary aperture in the respective one of the cross blocks 16%, shown best in H6. 5. Nuts 1&7 are threadably received over the shafts 156 so as to hold the two cross blocks 15% firmly against the center block 10 -3.

it is to be recognized that the legs 91' 9a are pivotable in a ventical plane about the shaft portions 182 and to affect this operation, cross linkage is provided interconnecting the upper ends of the leg mern ers. More specifcally, at the upper end of each pair of legs 99, $2 a cross pin 11% is provided therethrough and is suitably held by means of fasteners 111. A spaced pair of elongated linlzs M2 is mounted on each pin 11f inwardly of the respective pair of legs. A central spacer 114 is mounted on each pin 111i interposed between the links 112 to prevent inward movements. Outward movements of the link ends are prevented by spacers 115.

The pairs of link members 114 extend toward each other from the cross pins 118 to be mutually interconnected at their inner ends by a central cam shaft 116. To guide vertical movements of the cam shaft 116 a laterally spaced pair of arms did is mounted vertically of the base 88, each arm 118 being provided with a cam opening 12% for receiving an end of the cam shaft 115. The upper ends of the vertical arms 118 are connected by a horizontally disposed cross member 122 which, in turn, furnishes the attachment point for the link 72 of the chain 68. The lower ends of the arms 118 are fixedly secured to the center block 1M by a pin 124 extending transversely of the rail 22.

To urge the cam shaft 116 vertically thereby to pivot the legs 99, 92 a hydraulic cylinder 12:: is fixedly mounted upon the base assembly 88 of the head 18. Referring particularly to FlGS. 57, the hydraulic cylinder 126 is arranged in the squeezing head 18 whereby a piston rod 128 extends vertically upwardly from the cylinder 12 6 intermediate the links 112. It is to be recognized that the cam shaft 116 extends through the upper end of the rod 128 as well as through the inner ends of the links 1113. A pair of transversely spaced cars 1529 are provided at the base of the cylinder 126 and are received over the pin 124 inwardly of the arms 11-8. A hydraulic hose 130 is arranged to supply fluid under pressure beneath the piston within the cylinder 126 thereby to lift the piston rod 128 moving the cam shaft 116 upwardly within the slot 128 to pivot the lower ends of the pairs of legs 9t),- 92 towards each other. A second hydraulic line 132 communicates with the cylinder 126 to supply hydraulic fluid above the piston for retracting the rod 128 and thereby to move the cam shaft 116 downwardly within the slot 128 and to move the lower ends of the legs 9%, 92 apart.

It has been found that after repeated engagements with mispositioned rail anchors 38 the tips of the pairs of legs 90, 92 tended to wear. To obviate this condition, a hard metal pressure shoe 136 is secured to the lower end of each leg by four fasteners 13 8 respectively extending through four horizontally elongated slots .137 in the shoe 135, the;

eneral form of the shoe 136 being L-shaped and having a.

face 131 for engaging an anchor 38 as shown in FIG. 4.. It has been found necessary to provide means for enabling: both ends of the anchor 38 to be engaged simultaneously by the shoes 136 on the associated pair of legs 91) or 92..

To this end a shim-like spacer 133, shown best in FIG.

5, is interposed between the face portion 131 of each shoe 1% and the adjacent edge of the associated leg. The shimlike spacer 133 is vertically supported by an impaling pin 143 fixedly mounted in the end of the leg. A complementary recess is provided in the face portion 131 to receive the pin 143, the recess being sufiiciently deep to accommodate the entire length of the pin 143 when no spacer 133 is positioned on the pin 143.

It is known that rails 22 are furnished in many diflerent weights and sizes, and it is a feature of the invention that the squeezing head 18 is adaptable for use with any one of the various sizes. .To accommodate rails of various heights it is necessary to maintain substantially the same distance from the leg pivots 162 to the rail base 32 where the anchor 38 is attached irrespective of the height of the rail. To this end a shim assembly 139 is removably secured to the underside of the base assembly 88, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The shim assembly 139 includes a horizontally disposed plate 14% having three longitudinally spaced transversely extending bars 144 secured to the underside of the plate 145] for engagement with the rail head 36. Upwardly extending attachment ears 145 are rigidly secured to each long edge of the plate 1 h? to receive fasteners for connecting the shim assembly 139 to the center block 104. When rails 22 having sub stantially great height are encountered, a shim assembly 139 having minimal thickness may be attached to the base 88 so that the pressure shoes 136 will properly engage the anchors 38. Conversely, for shorter rails 22 a greater thickness shim assembly 139 should be employed to maintain the leg pivots 102 at the desired elevation with respect to the base 32 of the rail 22.

Adjustment means are provided in the squeezing head 18 to accommodate the various widths of rail bases 32. The function of this adjustment provision is to increase or decrease the distance between the legs in each pair 96 or 92. To this end washer-like shims 145 of Ar-inch thicknesses are carried by the pivots 102 and the cross pins 114:, the shims 145 being shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 disposed in pairs outwardly of the legs 99, 92. When the need arises to increase the distance between the legs 90, 92 the nuts 102 and 111 are removed from the respectively associated threaded members 1&2 and lit). The legs may then be dismounted and the shims 145 may be arranged on the members 192 and 119 in a position inwardly of the legs 9%, 92, thereby increasing the distance between the legs of each pair.

It is important that the pressure shoes 136 contact the anchors 38 firmly at predetermined points on each side of the track 22 so as to urge the mispositioned anchor along the base 32 without skewing. To achieve this end cam blocks 141 are secured to the confronting surfaces of the legs 9%, 92 for easy sliding engagement with the sides of the rail head 36, FIGS. 6 and 7, the cam blocks 141 being held in place by fasteners 138 extending through the shoes 136 and legs. By varying the thickness of the blocks 141 the contact points of the shoes 136 and anchors 38 may be shifted laterally with respect to the rail 22 while maintaining an easy sliding action between the blocks 141 and the rail head 36. In instances where rail heads 36 of different widths are encountered it is only necessary to change the cam blocks 141 to attain the proper sliding action and anchor engagement points.

The operation of the anchor relocator machine ltl may be carried out by a single worker for economically servicing substantial distances of track in short periods of time. Comfortably positioned in the seat 54 for good viewing of the relocating mechanism, the machine operator arrests the travel of the carriage 14- along the railroad track 12 adjacent a pair of mispositioned rail anchors 38, the squeezing head 18 being in the raised position for traveling along the track i2. By actuating the proper control means (not shown) the operator permits fluid under pressure to enter the hydraulic cylinder 126 above the piston through the conduit 13?. thereby to depress the piston and to remove the piston rod 128 downwardly, the fluid beneath the piston returning to a fluid reservoir (not shown) through the lower conduit 13%. The cam shaft 116, being connected to the piston rod 128, slides downwardly in the cam slot 29, and by means of the links 1112 pivots the upper ends of the pairs of legs 9!}, 92 inwardly. The lower ends of the legs 9%), 92 are now spread apart in open jaw fashion to permit engagement of widely spaced pairs of anchors 38.

By actuating a second control means (not shown) the machine operator permits fluid under pressure to enter the hydraulic hoist as for rotating the sheave 79 in the direction for lowering the squeezing head 18 into its operative position on the rail 22, shown best in FIG. 5. In its descent, the squeezing head 18 is guided in a vertical plane by the guide member 98 arranged in the slot formed on the inner legs 9% and 92a of the head 18. The descent of the squeezing head 18 is arrested by the trans verse blocks 144 of the shim assembly 139 engaging the rail head 36 thereby to establish the elevation of the pivot 102 with respect to the rail anchors 38. Next the machine operator actuates the first control means whereby to permit fluid under pressure to enter the hydraulic cylinder 126 beneath the piston through the fluid conduit 13%, the fluid atop the piston exhausting to the fluid reservoir through the conduit 132. Moving upwardly, the piston rod 128 urges the cam shaft 116 slidingly along the cam slot 120, and by means of the links 112 urges the upper ends of the pairs of legs 9%, 92 outwardly. As the lower ends of the legs 9t), 92 pivot inwardly the pressure shoes 136 engage the rail anchors 33 at spaced apart links. As the inward movement of the lower ends of the legs continues, the mispositioned anchors 355 are squeezed or slid along the base 32 of the rail 22, the movement of the anchors 53 being arrested only upon their engagement with the lateral sides of the wooden tie 24, shown in FIG. 4.

By applying pressure simultaneously to two anchors, the forces being applied in opposite directions, substantially no longitudinal force is applied to the rails 22 during the rail anchor relocating operation. Hence, this avoids loosening the rail 22 as held longitudinally by the other rail anchors.

It is also to be appreciated that the squeezing head 18 is adapted to reposition rail anchors set singly instead of in pairs. In this operation one pair of legs engages the mispositioned rail anchor while the other pair of legs 92 engages the plate 26 atop the tie 24.

After the anchors are properly positioned against the sides of the tie 24-, the machine operator actuates the control means to raise the squeezing head 18 with the hydraulic hoist 66. When the squeezing head is in its raised or traveling position, motive power is supplied to the drive wheel 52a of the carriage 14 from the hydraulic motor 76 thereby to move the anchor relocator machine 1% along the railroad track 12 to the next pair of mispositioned anchors.

While there has been described What is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In apparatus for relocating mispositioned rail anchors secured to a base of a railroad track rail and disposed on opposite sides of a tie; the combination comprising: a carriage movable along the railroad track; upright frame means disposed on one side of said carriage; a pair of bifurcated squeezing means on said frame means for respectively forcefully engaging on both sides of a rail the pair of rail anchors arranged adjacent the tie to urge the anchors longitudinally and uniformly along the base of the rail towards land into firm engagement with the laterally extending sides of the tie, and common power means acting on said squeezing means to effect such squeezing.

2. In apparatus for relocating mispositioned rail anchors secured to a base of a railroad track rail and disposed on opposite sides of a tie, the combination comprising: a carriage supported at opposite ends by a pair of trucks of standard rail gauge for movement longitudinally of the railroad track; an upright frame arranged on said carriage at one longitudinally extending side thereof and extending above one railroad track rail; a squeezing head mounted on said frame for vertical movement into and out of engagement with the one railroad track rail, said squeezins head including a base adapted to support said head on the rail, said base having a laterally extending first fulcrum means longitudinally spaced from a latera-l ly extending second fulcrum means; a first pair of legs pivotally mounted on said first fulcrum means and depending therefrom to straddle the rail for engaging one rail anchor disposed on one side of the tie; a second pair of legs pivotally mounted on said second fulcrum means and depending therefrom to straddle the rail for engaging a second rail anchor disposed on the opposite side of the tie; and means to pivotally actuate said pairs of legs for urging the rail anchors longitudinally of the base of the rail towards each other and into firm engagement with the laterally extending sides of the tie.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 and further including cam means on said legs for engaging the sides of the head of the rail to guide pivotal movements of said legs with respect to the one railroad track rail.

4. The combination defined in claim 2 and further including a pressure shoe secured to the lower end of each leg for engaging the rail anchor.

5. In apparatus for relocating mispositioned rail anchors secured to a base of a railroad track rail and disposed on opposite sides of a tie, the combination comprising: a carriage movable along the railroad track; an upright frame arranged on said carriage at one side thereof extending above one railroad track rail; a squeezing head mounted on said frame for vertical movement into and out of engagement with the one railroad track rail, said squeezing head including a base, first and second pairs of vertically extending legs pivotally mounted in said base intermediate the upper and lower ends of said legs, said lower ends or" said legs extending below said base and being adapted to engage the pair of rail anchors disposed on opposite sides of the tie, hydraulic power means on said squeezing head, and linkage means interconnecting said upper ends of said legs to said hydraulic power means for pivoting said lower ends of said first and 'second pairs of legs in opposite directions to urge the rail anchors longitudinally of the base of the rail into firm engagement with the side of the tiev 6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein a hydraulic hoist is provided on said frame for raising and lowering said squeezing head.

7. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein said lower ends of said first and second pairs of legs are each provided with a hardened metal pressure shoe for engaging the rail anchor; and said base including a spacer member adapted to engage the top of the rail for vertically positioning said squeezing head with respect to the rail anchors.

8. In apparatus for relocating mispositioned rail anchors secured to a base of a railroad track rail and disposed on opposite sides of a tie; a combination comprising: a carriage movable along the railroad track; upright frame means disposed on one side of said carriage; a pair of bifurcated squeezing means on said frame means for respectively forcefully engaging on both sides of a rail the pair of rail anchors arranged adjacent the tie to urge the anchors longitudinally and uniformly along the base of the rail toward and into firm engagement with the laterally extending sides of the tie; means pivotally interconnecting said pair of squeezing means; and power means acting on said squeezing means to pivot said squeezing means to effect such squeezing.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the power means comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the pair of squeezing means is interconnected by a toggle, and wherein the hydraulic cylinder acts on said toggle.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 and further in cluding means for raising said squeezing means above said rail to a traveling position and for lowering said squeezing means into proximity with said rail in opera-ting position; wherein said squeezing means has confronting, spaced apart cam means engageable with a rail to eifect proper positioning of the bifurcated squeezing means on opposite sides of said rail.

No references cited. 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR RELOCATING MISPOSITIONED RAIL ANCHORS SECURED TO A BASE OF A RAILROAD TRACK RAIL AND DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A TIE; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A CARRIAGE MOVABLE ALONG THE RAILROAD TRACK; UPRIGHT FRAME MEANS DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID CARRIAGE; A PAIR OF BIFURCATED SQUEEZING MEANS ON SAID FRAME MEANS FOR RESPECTIVELY FORCEFULLY ENGAGING ON BOTH SIDES OF A RAIL THE PAIR OF RAIL ANCHORS ARRANGED ADJACENT THE TIE THE BASE OF THE RAIL TOWARDS AND INTO FIRM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LATERALLY EXTENDING SIDES OF THE TIE, AND COMMON POWER MEANS ACTING ON SAID SQUEEZING MEANS TO EFFECT SUCH SQUEEZING. 